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Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK vs Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H: Comparison
What is the difference between 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK and 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H?
Start with l2 cache, because it is the widest measured gap between them: 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK 10 MB against 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H 2 MB, 80% in favour of 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK. Add l3 cache to that, 24 MB on the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK versus 16 MB on the 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H, and the pattern holds. They differ on microarchitecture too, Tiger Lake H, 11th Gen Intel Core on the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK versus Coffee Lake, 9th Gen Intel Core on the 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H. They differ on memory type too, DDR4 on the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK versus DDR4, LPDDR3 on the 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H.
Who each one is for
Take the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK for flagship gaming laptops wanting the strongest available Tiger Lake H performance with overclocking headroom. Avoid it for budget-conscious buyers, the non-K 11800H, covered elsewhere on this site, delivers similar core performance for less without the overclocking headroom. Take the 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H for premium gaming and workstation laptops wanting near-i9-9980HK performance without the overclocking premium. It is the wrong buy for enthusiasts specifically wanting mobile overclocking flexibility, the unlocked i9-9980HK offers that.
What 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK and 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H have in common
Everything else lines up. Total cores, performance cores, efficiency cores, total threads and tdp read the same on both, so those are not worth weighing. They match on 5 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK and 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H differ on p-core boost clock?
Yes. P-Core Boost Clock reads 5.0 GHz on the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK versus 4.8 GHz on the 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H.
Is the Integrated Graphics the same on the 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK and 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H?
It is. Both are listed at Yes, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Intel
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- Intel
Product Line
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Core i9
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- Core i9
Form Factor
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Laptop
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- Laptop
Model Number
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 11980HK
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- 9880H
Codename
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Tiger Lake
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- Coffee Lake
Release Year
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 2021
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- 2019
TDP
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 45 W
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- 45 W
iGPU
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 (48 EU)
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- Intel UHD Graphics 630
Market Segment
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Laptop
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- Laptop
Microarchitecture
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Tiger Lake H, 11th Gen Intel Core
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- Coffee Lake, 9th Gen Intel Core
Socket
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- FCBGA1787
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- FCBGA1440
Process Node
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 10 nm
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- 14 nm
Total Cores
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 8
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- 8
Performance Cores
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 8
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- 8
Efficiency Cores
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 0
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- 0
Total Threads
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 16
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- 16
SMT Enabled
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Yes
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- Yes
P-Core Base Clock
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 2.6 GHz
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- 2.3 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 5.0 GHz
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- 4.8 GHz
L2 Cache
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 10 MBBest
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- 2 MB-80%
L3 Cache
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- 24 MBBest
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- 16 MB-33%
Memory Type
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- DDR4
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- DDR4, LPDDR3
Integrated Graphics
- Intel 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK
- Yes
- Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H
- Yes
Which one should you pick?
Choose 11980HK if you want the higher L2 cache (10 MB vs 2 MB) and the higher L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).
Choose 9880H if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.


